Are you in need of a smaller dive watch, either due to small wrists or just preference? Prefer brighter colors? My updated guide for 2024 to the best small dive watches is not just for women, but for anyone who doesn’t want to wear the large, >40 mm divers that tend to be produced for men these days.

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Most of my articles on this site aren’t sorted by gender, but I’ve realized that the majority of watches I talk about and recommend on this site are quite large, usually over 42 mm or so. These are simply too big for the majority of women to wear comfortably, and even a large percentage of men with smaller wrists do not like the trend of ever larger watches. Personally, I like a watch that’s closer to 38mm in diameter.

Seiko SKX007 in the fog, with water droplets
A wrist shot of my Seiko SKX007, with it’s somewhat larger than ideal 41mm case diameter

However, I also believe that a dive watch needs to be highly functional and large enough to be read with a quick glance. So you won’t find any recommendations for tiny, high-fashion, bejeweled ‘dive watches’ here.

Now, on to the watches! I’ve organized this list into some general price ranges, so feel free to skip around.

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Luxury | High-end | Mid-range | Budget

Best Luxury Small Dive Watches


— A quick note about buying luxury watches online

The vast majority of people buying watches in this price range prefer to do it in person, especially when buying new. You have to be wary of fakes when buying any of these watches.

There are some trustworthy online sources though. For new luxury watches, I recommend AuthenticWatches.com. They are extremely well reviewed, guaranteed to be real, and have great pricing on all the luxury Swiss brands.

For used luxury watches, I recommend heading over to Chrono24.com and checking out the listings there.


#1 – Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 5100 Series

Specifications

  • Blancpain caliber 1150 automatic mechanical movement
  • 100 hour power reserve
  • Unidirectional diver’s timing bezel with ceramic insert
  • 300 meter water resistance
  • 38.00 mm case diameter
  • 10.77 mm thick
  • 20.00 mm lug width

View Collection on Blancpain.com

In many ways, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms is the original modern dive watch. First released in 1953, it pioneered many of the features we now take for granted (external rotating timing bezel, screw in case back).

The Bathyscaphe model here is a tribute to one of the earliest Fifty Fathoms models, released in the late 1950’s.

Luckily for those needing a smaller diver, Blancpain saw fit to release a version with a 38 mm diameter case.

The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe comes with either a blue, black, or all white bezel and dial. I’m personally partial to the blue, but the ‘White Lady’ is definitely stunning.

#2 – Rolex Yachtmaster 37mm

Specifications

  • Rolex caliber 2236 automatic movement
  • Chronometer certified
  • 55 hour power reserve
  • Bidirectional timing bezel
  • 100 meter water resistance
  • 37 mm case diameter

View Collection on Rolex.com

The famous Rolex Submariner is, unfortunately, only available with a 41 mm case. Luckily, the Yachtmaster has a very similar design and is available with a 37 mm case.

The only downside to getting a Yachtmaster instead of a Submariner? The Yachmaster has only 100 meters of water resistance, vs. the Submariners 300 meters. I think that’ll do just fine for the vast majority of people though.

I don’t think I need to talk up Rolex here. Their quality is legendary, and if you want a Rolex, you tend to already know it.

Best High End Small Dive Watches

#1 – Oris Aquis Date

Specifications

  • Oris caliber 733 automatic movement
  • 38 hour power reserve
  • Unidirectional divers timing bezel
  • 300 meter water resistance
  • Anti-reflective, domed sapphire crystal
  • Display case back with mineral glass, showcasing Oris red rotor
  • 36.5 mm case diameter
  • 18 mm lug to lug

View Oris Aquis Collection on Oris.ch

Buy on Amazon

For as long as I’ve been writing about dive watches I’ve wanted to pick up an Oris Aquis. Oris makes very high quality and good looking divers for a very reasonable price.

The Oris Aquis Date is available in several case sizes, with the smallest being 36.5mm. With a 36.5 mm case diameter they’ll wear well on more slender wrists without sacrificing any functionality.

There’s quite a few varieties available, from the more tool diver looking ref. 01 733 7792 4154-07 4 19 64FC to the Oris Aquis Date Upcycle, which has a dial made out of pretty cool looking recycled PET plastic.

Oris Aquis Date Upcycle, with recycled PET plastic dial

Why is the Oris Aquis Date one of the best women’s dive watches available?

Oris has managed to produce a watch that both looks high fashion and keeps it’s tool watch roots. The small but not too small size of the Aquis Ladies will fit many women perfectly.

View of display case back on Oris Aquis Date

The Oris Aquis also has a display case back to show off their signature red automatic rotor. If you like to watch tiny, intricate machines at work then that would make this the perfect watch for you.

And your friends will be quite surprised when you take such a beautiful watch underwater with you.

Search Amazon for the Oris Aquis Date

#2 – Longines Legend Diver

Specifications

  • Longines caliber L592 automatic movement
  • 28,800 bpm, 45 hour power reserve
  • Internal turning diving flange
  • 300 meter water resistance
  • Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
  • Stainless steel case
  • Case diameter: 36mm
  • Lug-to-lug: 45mm
  • Case thickness: 11.9mm
  • Strap width: 19mm

View Collection on Longines.com

The Longines Legend Diver is a really cool and unique dive watch with a long history. The internal rotating dive bezel was invented by Longines to protect it from accidental manipulation. The two separate screw-down crowns, one for setting time and one for setting the timing bezel, give it it’s unique look.

It consistently gets recommended by many watch enthusiasts, especially when asking about smaller divers.

Longines produces the Legend Diver in three case sizes, 36mm, 39mm, and 42mm — perfect for nearly anybody’s wrist size and preferences.

While the 36mm case is only made in stainless steel, the 42mm version comes with both bronze and PVD case options.

These are gorgeous divers watches that would also be at home worn as a dress watch.

View Collection on Longines.com

#3 – Tag Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200

Specifications

  • Tag Heuer Quartz or Caliber 9 automatic movement available
  • Ceramic divers timing bezel
  • Stainless steel case
  • 200 meters water resistance
  • Flat anti-reflective sapphire crystal
  • 30-40 mm case diameter

Buy From Tag Heuer
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Tag Heuer is an old Swiss luxury watch company, founded way back in 1860. The Aquaracer series was first released in 2003 as Tag Heuer’s professional, but visually attractive dive watch line.

Tag Heuer makes the Aquaracer line available with both quartz and automatic movements.

There’s a huge variety of styles available in the women’s Aquaracer line – from tool diver looking black bezel and dialed watches, to diamond studded dials and/or bezels.

A big advantage of Tag Heuer’s line-up is the range of case sizes available. The Aquaracer Professional 200 can be had in a range from 30mm on up to 40mm case diameter. No matter the size of your wrist, you should be able to find one that fits you perfectly.

Buy From Tag Heuer
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Best Mid Range Small Dive Watches

#1 – Seiko SNE5 Solar Diver

Seiko SNE573 Watch for Men - Prospex Collection - Solar Powered, Stainless Steel Case with Black Silicone Strap, Black Dial, and 200m Water Resistant

Specifications

  • Seiko caliber v147 solar quartz movement
  • 10 month power reserve at full charge
  • Unidirectional timing bezel
  • 200 meter water resistance
  • Stainless steel case
  • Sapphire crystal
  • Case diameter: 38.5mm
  • Case thickness: 10.6mm
  • Lug-to-lug: 46.5mm
  • Strap width: 20mm

Seiko Online Store

Buy on Amazon

Seiko is seriously lacking when it comes to smaller dive watches. This is a problem, because there’s lots of people out there with smaller wrists who love Seiko watches (myself included).

There are currently only a couple of dive models (with at least 200m WR) still being produced that are less than 40mm – the SNE5 Solar watch here, and the new SUT4 Ladies Street Series, which is a ‘mini tuna’ style dive watch available in some fun colors. Here’s one example for sale on Amazon.com.

In the Seiko 5 Sports series are a few smaller divers, but these only have a 100m water resistance rating. You can find some examples on Amazon.com by clicking here.

Seiko’s solar watches are pretty cool. When fully charged they’ll keep ticking for 10 months, and all that’s needed is to let the watch dial see the sun every once in a while to charge back up.

Otherwise, this series has a great, classic Seiko diver look, in a much better case size for a lot of men and women. Most people seem to prefer the rubber strap over the steel bracelet.

#2 – Christopher Ward C60 TRIDENT Pro 300

Specifications

  • Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement
  • 300m (1000ft) water resistance
  • Ceramic unidirectional bezel
  • Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
  • Exhibition caseback
  • Case diameter: 38mm
  • Lug-to-lug: 45mm
  • Case thickness:11mm
  • Band width: 20mm
  • Date window
  • Superluminova hands and markers

Buy From ChristopherWard.com

Christopher Ward makes absolutely fantastic dive watches at a very reasonable price point. The quality of their entire catalog is quite amazing. You won’t find many other divers for around $1000 that can compete with their professional line watches.

The C60 Trident Pro isn’t specifically a woman’s watch, but at a 38mm diameter it should wear very comfortably on most women, and watches of this size have been very much in style among women these days. They offer several strap sizes at checkout, so be sure to select the small if buying for someone with a slight wrist.

Besides the 38mm case, the Trident Pro 300 is also available in either 40mm or 42mm case sizes.

Where to buy the Christopher Ward C60 Pro Trident 300?

Chris Ward sells directly from their own website which helps them keep costs down. For used watches I again recommend checking eBay and see if there’s any decent copies available.

#3 – Certina DS Action 34.5mm

Certina, Womens, DS Action Lady 34.5mm, Stainless Steel, Swiss Automatic, Watch, Black, Stainless Steel, 18, (C0320071105100)

Specifications

  • ETA automatic movement with 80-hr power reserve
  • Ceramic unidirectional timing bezel
  • 300 meter water resistance
  • 316L stainless steel case
  • Sapphire crystal
  • Super-LumiNova lume on hands, hour markers, bezel
  • Case diameter: 34.5mm
  • Case thickness: 11.9mm
  • Band width: 18mm

View on Certina.com

Buy on Amazon

Certina is a Swiss sport watch company with a long history, stretching back to 1888. The DS line, which focuses on extremely shock and water proof watches, was first introduced in 1959. In 1965 the Certina DS was put to the test during the US Navy’s Sealab II experiment.

At 34.5mm case diameter, this is one of the smallest diver’s on this list. In my opinion, this is about as small as you want to go and still have a functional tool watch. For a slightly larger version, the CS Action Diver is available in a 38mm case.

On the caseback is Certina’s turtle shell logo, which they say symbolizes robustness and longevity.

I think the Certina DS Action is a beautiful watch, with a classic dive watch look. At the time I’m writing this article in 2024, there’s five varieties to choose from, including two with Mother of Pearl dials.

Best Budget Small Dive Watches

#1 – Dan Henry 1975 Skin Diver 37mm

Specifications

  • Seiko Meca-quartz caliber VH31
  • Smooth sweeping seconds hand
  • 316L Stainless steel case
  • 150m water resistance
  • Unidirectional diver’s timing bezel
  • High domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
  • Case diameter: 37mm
  • Case thickness: 10.5mm
  • Lug-to-lug: 40mm
  • Band width: 19mm

Buy Direct From DanHenryWatches.com

Dan Henry is a smaller watch brand that specializes in new, yet vintage looking watches. Their different watch collections are broken up into the years that inspired them, starting in 1900 and ending with this 1975 Skin Diver.

They have two dive watch series, the one I’ve picked here and the 1970 Automatic Diver. The 1970 is a super compressor style, like the Longines Legend Diver above, with an internal rotating bezel. It is only available with either a 40mm or 44mm case diameter.

The Dan Henry 1975 Skin Diver is available with either a 39mm or 37mm case diameter. If the 39mm diver is more your size, it is available with either a quartz or automatic movement. The 37mm version can only be had with a quality Seiko quartz movement.

I’m honestly really in love with the vintage styling of these dive watches. They’re simple, no-nonsense design just looks timeless to me. And for only around $300, you don’t have to pay much for a quality, vintage inspired watch.

I especially love the case back on these, with the octopus coming out of a classic diving helmet. But I’ve always been fascinated by octopus.

The 1975 Skin Diver is on my short list of next watch to get in for a review, I’ll update this article if that happens!

#2 – Momentum M1 Splash 38

Specification

  •  Japanese quartz Epson VX32G movement
  • Unidirectional rotating divers timing bezel
  • 316L stainless steel case
  • 200 meter water resistance
  • Sapphire crystal
  • Case diameter: 38mm
  • Lug-to-lug: 45.5mm
  • Case height: 11mm
  • Lug width: 18mm

View collection on Momentum.com
View collection on Amazon.com

Momentum Watch is a sports watch brand owned by St. Moritz Watch Corp. The brand has been around since 1980, so they’ve got a good few years under their belt. And being based in Vancouver, Canada, Momentum has plenty of opportunity to test their watches.

Momentum Splash dive watch with black dial and black bezel insert

The Momentum Splash series is a collection of smaller dive watches offered in a whole range of bright colors. You can get them with white dials, black dials, colorful bezel inserts, and rubber bands or stainless steel bracelets.

The Momentum dive watches are very well reviewed for what they are, inexpensive tool watches with reliable and no maintenance quartz movements. If you like lots of colors, be sure to take a look at these.

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Reed

Reed

Writer, sailor, photographer, kayak guide and SCUBA diver. Based on Bainbridge Island, Washington State, USA

2 Comments

  1. Vivian Li
    January 13, 2017 at 7:14 pm — Reply

    Excellent list, Reed! As a female WIS, I started this article thinking there wouldn’t be any ladies’ automatic divers I wouldn’t know about already (I’m obsessed with them), but then I saw #5 and was surprised I didn’t know about Armida and their 35mm model! Bonus points, as that watch uses the Miyota 9015 movement which I’ve been looking for in a <36mm size for AGES (ever since my beloved Junkers 6365-2 broke). Will be picking that one up, pronto.

    And just to add to this list, there's the Marcello C Lady Nettuno 1010.2 (34mm), Epos Sportive 4413 (33m), Tavannes Ocean Edge (37mm), and of course the Omega Planet Ocean (37.5mm). There's also the Longines Hydroconquest, but at 29.5mm it seems too dainty for a diver, even for the skinniest of wrists. I would also mention the 37mm Hamilton Seaview, but with only 100m WR I don't think it's meant as a serious dive watch. The Ball 34mm Hydrocarbon is similarly "diver-styled" with only 100m WR (at least it's got tritium..). I think there's also a 37mm offering from Sinn, but I recall that being a quartz model. (Yema also once had a 35mm PVD diver, but it's long been discontinued, I think. There may be a few still floating about on auction sites. I was lucky I nabbed a used one from Ebay a few years back.)

    Alas, I do wish there were more mechanical divers in the 31mm to 35mm range. I'm a petite female with really thin wrists, and anything 37mm+ is definitely out of question. I can wear ~36mm watches occasionally, but not daily, as it starts to feel like a hockey puck very soon… so a lot of the suggestions above are a no-go for me. If only more companies took the lead to produce more mid-sized auto divers….

    • January 15, 2017 at 4:28 am — Reply

      Glad I was able to help! Thanks for all the great suggestions, I hadn’t come across most of those. It is too bad that the mid-size range of diver’s is so neglected.

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